The invention relates to a method and apparatus for inhibiting vandalism to highway bridges and similar structures, and in particular, to a method for preventing vandals from standing on the I-beams which support the bridge while vandalizing the bridge.
Vandalism to public property, and in particular graffiti, has long been a nuisance in large cities. When graffiti appeared, it was usually painted over within a short period of time to prevent the loss to property value in the surrounding community. Overall, this graffiti presented a small problem when compared to other issues faced by cities.
Recently, however, the problem of graffiti and other similar vandalism has increased significantly in big cities and has spread rapidly across the entire country. The problem is no longer confined to major metropolitan areas, but is increasingly present in medium-sized cities and even small towns. One primary source of graffiti is "taggers"--teenagers who wish to leave their mark in as many public places as possible. The other primary source of graffiti is gangs which use the graffiti to mark their "territory". Regardless of its source, the graffiti is usually an eyesore and decreases property values in the area.
The surge in graffiti from both sources is spreading across the country at an alarming rate. Virtually everywhere the problem is increasing. An official of one western state recently noted that his state's transportation department had spent three times as much money removing graffiti in the first three months of 1994 as had been spent during the entire year of 1993. He noted that, despite the significant increase in expenditures on graffiti removal, the vandals appeared to be gaining ground as each day additional graffiti was visible along the roadsides and on bridges.
A particular problem with graffiti is that done on bridges. When writing on the bridge, the vandals will typically climb on to the I-beams which support the bridge and stand on the lower flange of the I-beam while the graffiti is applied. To remove the graffiti, the public works employees are faced with the challenge of either (a) repeating the dangerous climb of the vandals; (b) blocking off traffic while some sort of raised platform is used to allow workers to paint over the graffiti; or (c) use long telescoping poles to cover the graffiti and attempt not to drip paint onto cars passing beneath the bridge.
These difficult options have resulted in many areas of the country simply giving up on removing the graffiti. Rather than painting over the graffiti, the bridges are allowed to become an eyesore and free advertising for the particular cause of the vandal. Consequently, the neighborhoods around the bridge begin to deteriorate as the presence of graffiti attracts more graffiti. Eventually, the property values may decrease and the neighborhood may fall into disrepair.
Thus, there is an urgent need for a method and apparatus which will hinder the application of graffiti to bridges, overpasses and the like. It is also important that the method be relatively inexpensive so to not offset the savings obtained in preventing the vandalism.